Beowulf, the epic tale of a Danish society plagued by evil beasts, reveals many thought-provoking and admirable character traits of the main character and hero, Beowulf. Firstly, he shows chivalry through his interactions and actions towards the king of Heorot, showing him the respect and honor he deserved. Secondly, he demonstrates bravery in all battles above and beyond the standard of the times and the standard of his fellow fighters. He owes his bravery in part to his seemingly immeasurable strength, having more power in each fist than that of thirty men. Lastly, he demonstrates a trait that applies to people for his time and ours, pride.
The way we treat ourselves is extraordinary compared to the utilization of figures past. We, humans, are a populous society of affable tributes that are of importance. That we look up to the people that give us safety, as well that show respect and pride. These people are the idols that portray heroism; the general populous agrees that a hero is selfless. One such example is in an epic poem Beowulf.
Beowulf: The Modern Hero Benjamin Disaraeli once said, “The legacy of heroes is the memory of a great name and the inheritance of a great example.” This rings true for heroes from all periods of time, especially for those form the historical time of the epic hero Beowulf. This invincible AngloSaxon’s definition of heroism is often dismissed due to his arrogance, yet it is still quite relevant. Despite the conventional thoughts of many, Beowulf remains a relevant example of a hero in modern society due to his unquenchable thirst to be the savior to those weaker than he and his uninhibited arrogance and obscene vanity.
“Beowulf” is an old English heroic poem written in the Anglo-Saxon Era. While the battles of Beowulf were mesmerizing, the concept of defending the civilians throughout the whole poem was self- evident. Even so, the poem contains many types of archetypes; situational, character and symbolic. Beowulf hears the monstrous acts of Grendel and sets forward towards a quest to conquer the wild beast.
The epic poem, Beowulf is about a hero who comes to the aid of King Hrothgar. Hrothgar’s Mead Hall was being destroyed by a demon that lurked the boundaries of the small town. Beowulf hears the news and comes to try to defeat the demon. He performs this admirable deed because he wanted to achieve immortality by being a hero. He fought the monsters with his bare hands.
Beowulf’s’ courageousness can be shown through the way he approaches dangerous roles. He chooses to take on the roles himself and does not feel intimidated by his opponents. When it came time for Beowulf to fight Grendel, he vowed to succeed in killing him or die trying. Katniss Everdeen also shows courageous behavior. When her sister Prim was chosen for the annual reaping, Katniss took her sisters place in the Hunger Games because she did not want her sister to die.
Alexander Hamilton once said, “There is a certain Enthusiasm in liberty that makes Human nature rise above itself, in acts of bravery and heroism.” Beowulf is an epic poem in which the main character Beowulf did acts of service, but he fought for those who couldn’t fight. The overall theme of good versus evil in Beowulf had Beowulf dealing with challenges that no ordinary man would be able to handle unless they were a true epic hero. Throughout the poem Beowulf proves to be an epic hero by his strength, bravery, and sacrifice.
What factors build up a hero? Is it strength? Is it wisdom? Or is it the courage to face death when others run away from terror? Beowulf, an epic story, describes the adventure of a marvelous king in Northern Europe, feared by the evil, who devoted his life to banish the claws of evil grasping on his people during the dark ages.
Set in sixth century Northern Europe, the Anglo-Saxon epic poem Beowulf recounts the exploits of a strong and skillful warrior and his heroic quest for greatness. Spanning over fifty decades, Beowulf, a loyal thane and eventual Geatish king, bravely defeats two man-eating monsters and a fire-breathing dragon to secure legendary eminence. By chronicling the glory-seeking adventures of the ode’s protagonist, the poet effectively juxtaposes Beowulf’s prideful thirst for glory against society’s greater good.
“Beowulf,” written by Richard Wilbur, was published in 1950 yet utilizes the general plot and background of the fifth-century epic work of the same name. This significant difference in time periods greatly influences the overarching theme of the poem: the author implores his audience to question the accepted definition of heroism by translating the ideas present in the original to his own post-modern work. Wilbur explores the themes of isolation, monotony, and heroism based on transactions (rather than good will) to achieve this goal. The depiction of a hero as misunderstood and withdrawn is at great odds with what historians know about Anglo-Saxon culture, and the similar ideas explored in Beowulf, the epic.
Christopher Reeves once said, “A hero is an ordinary individual who finds the strength to persevere and endure in spite of overwhelming obstacles.” Although Beowulf was human, he was not an ordinary individual, hero, or king, for he was a man who displayed superhuman qualities in his efforts to protect the Danish and Geatish people. Beowulf, who was established Geatish warrior that spent his life in battle, showed these extraordinary characteristics that made him an epic hero, one who possesses superhuman, almost god-like qualities. Being constantly on a quest, risking his life for glory and the greater good of society, and being superiorly intelligent, courageous and strong are the three most important reasons why Beowulf deserves such a notable
Beowulf is a poem that based in the 10th and 11th century that revolved around the idea of good vs evil. The poem is named after Beowulf who is a supernatural hero that slays any evil that crosses his path but is a real sweetheart when it comes to other people or the king. Beowulf is to be considered an epic poem because the hero in the story creates acts of being courageous and even superhuman in some cases, reflecting timeless values such as courage and honor, and the poem reflects unforgettable values with honor and courage. Typically in an epic poem, one will see a character or “the hero” who has outstanding courage and commit superhuman deeds and show values to other people in that era. “Then he drew himself up beside his shield./The fabled warrior in his warshirt and helmet/trusted in his own strength entirely/
This edition of Beowulf was translated by Burton Raffel. In this poem Beowulf leads a group of his best men to go save Hrothgar’s home from a dreadful monster. He eventually comes across an obstacle much greater than any other he has faced. The values and lifestyle of the Anglo-Saxons were very battle oriented. They believed in dying in battle for honor rather than running away in dishonor.
Modern heroes defend people from other people, cruel and brutal ones. But in any times people have known that the evil exists and we all need a hero to protect us. The poem “Beowulf” is truly considered a corner stone of the English literature and I can daringly say that it is a corner stone of the world literature too. The image of Beowulf became a prototype for the further adventurous plots of novels, stories, dramas and scenarios. We have these fantastic fantasy movies now because of such poems as Beowulf.
"Hear me! We've heard of Danish heroes, ancient kings and the glory they cut for themselves, swinging mighty swords." These verses were words sung over and over, by singing poets all over ancient Europe. They were sung in the presence of kings and warriors. They are the beginning lines of the epic Anglo-Saxon poem Beowulf, an ancient tale of monsters, dragons, kings, warriors, battles, life, death, and the virtues of a hero.
